Highfields Amateur Radio Club
PC Help Pages.

Q. "Ever since I re-installed Windows XP, shift 3 on my keyboard gives "#" not "£". How can I change it as it was OK before?"

How it happened: When you re-installed you probably quickly went through the Language selection stage (I know I've done this before!). This will leave you with the default US keyboard. Changing to UK keyboard layout is quite easy.

Note: Some of the images shown here have rings drawn around them to highlight the area I mean. Don't look for the coloured rings on your screen as they won't be there!. Also some images are truncated and all have been reduced for space saving reasons.

Windows XP

1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
   
   
   
2. Click on Regional and Language Settings (ringed in red Image 1), click on the Details button (Image 2).
   
   
   
3. Click on Add (Image 3) and you will see Image 4a.
   
   Click on the drop down selection arrow then scroll up the list 1 position to English (United Kingdom). click on the United Kingdom entry, this should give you Image 4b. Click on OK.
   
   
   
4. Now click on the drop down arrow (ringed in red Image 5) for the default language and select the United Kingdom entry.
   
   The lower display should change so that the UK setting is bold. Now, in the lower section of that window, click on the US setting, then click Remove (ringed in green), then click Apply.
   
   You will probably get an error box telling you that the US keyboard could not be removed as it is in use. This is not a problem, it will be removed next time you log on or start your PC.
   
   You should now only see English (United Kingdom) in that bottom pane. If so Click OK
   
   
   
5. While you are here, check the Regional Options (ringed in green on Image 1) and make sure that English (United Kingdom) is displayed in the box ringed in red Image 6), if not use the drop down arrow beside the box to display the list of options and select the UK entry. Likewise with the Location box further down. When both boxes are displaying United Kingdom click OK.
   
   Log off or shut down & retsart. Now you should have the "£" on shift 3, plus a few other slight differences that you may not have noticed, are also "fixed".